Buttonhole-stitching machine.



No. 696,699. Patented Apr. I, |902.

, R. W. THOMSON.

BUTTONHDLE STITCHING MACHINE.

(Application lled Aug. 5, 1901.)

V(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 696,699. PatentedApr. l. i902. R. W. THOMSON.

BUTTONHOLE STITCHING MACHINE.

(Application led ngi 5, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

,9 (WHW Einw To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

PaTnNT Trice,

ROBERT W. THOMSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REECE BUTTONI-IOLE MACHINE COMPANY,

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

BUTTONHOLE=STITCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 696,699, dated April 1 1902.

' Original application lecl January 20, 1892, Serial No. 418,670. Divided and this application filed August 5, 1901. Serial No. 70,859. (No model.) i

Beit known thatI, ROBERT W. THOMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Lynn, inthe county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in But` tonhole-Stitching Machines, of which the followlng description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likel after specifically described, andsetA forth in Y the claims.

Figure lis aview, partially in elevation and 1n section, showing the-features to be claimed in this divisional application and actuating means for the same. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the spreader viewed from'another point than that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail in top or plan view of the spreader and its actuating means, said figure also showing the ears for sustaining the shaft carrying the looper. Fig. 4L is a detail showing part of the needle-gate, and Fig. 5 a detail of the leverf1.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the lower part of the framework; A', the overhanging arm; A2, a table-plate secured to the framework; A3, the needle bar actuating shaft, sustained in the arm A and provided at its front end with a crank A4, connected by a link A5 with a suitable collar on the needle-bar A, having a needle d. The needle is reciprocated in suitable bearings of a gate A1, mounted upon studs AS, (see Figlia) shown as pointed screws. The gate has two screws A9 A10, extended through an ear thereof. (See Fig. 4.) The screw A9 is adapted to be screwed more or less through the said ear to contact with a lug A12, connected with the overhanging arm, to determine the exact position for the needle-bar gate and needle a with relation to the usual throat through which the need-le descends in making the stitch, the screw A10 entering said lug and fastening said gate in its adjusted position. By these screws it is possible to adjust the Agate more or less about its pivotal point, so

as to bring the needle d in exactly the proper working position with relation to the parts with which it cooperates iu the production of an oVeredge-stitch, such adjustment securing the desired length of depth-stitch.

The shaft A3 has fast upon it a cam-hub A13, which actuates a take-up A14, The shaft A3 derives its rotation from a chain A17, set in motion by a suitable sprocket wheel (not shown) fasten the main shaftB, said sprocketchain embracing a sprocket-wheel A1S on the shaft A3. side the framework a collar B', having a suitable pin or projection B20, which forms part of a clutch, the second part of the clutch be ing a pin or projection B21, extended from a pulley B2, mounted loosely upon said shaft and driven substantially constantly bya suitable belt, as B3, driven from any suitable source of motion. The pulley B2 has secured to or forming part ofit a second pulley B4, driven by a belt B5, extended over a`pulley B, secured to a shaft B1, adapted, as described in said application, to actuate a shaft instrumental in turning the work-clamp, to be described, backwardly into its starting position after having completed the stitching of a buttonhole.

The table-plate A2 is recessed to receive a ring D, having teeth 62, said ring being rotated when stitching a buttonhole through a bevel-pinion 63, fast on a shaft C2. The'shaft C2 is sustained in a bearing 64, which is raised and lowered at proper times, as described in said application, to cause the teeth 63 to engage the teeth 62 of the ring D and move the same in one direction and to disengage the wheel 63 from the teeth 62 to permit the ring The shaft B has fast upon it out-v D to be returned by other means fully described in said application.

The goods or material to be stitched is held between the under members m2 and the upper members 40 of a cloth-clamp, said members being carried by a plate F', mounted upon a base-plate F, .fitted to slide to and fro in a circular clamp-carrier E, sustained by the table plate and held in operative condition therein by means of a raceway C15, secured by suitable screws to the table-plate. The under side of the base-plate F has suitable rollerstuds b, which are acted upon by the inner cam-wall of the rotating ring D, said wall being so shaped as to slide the clamp longitudinallywhile stitching the sides of a buttonhole. The clamp-carrier E is rotated with the ring D when stitching about the opposite ends of a buttonbole and is restrained from rotation in said raceway when the base-plate F is being slid therein. v

The curved needle f7 to carry the under thread through the slit of the buttonbole is` secured by a suitable screwtoa projection 8l from a shaftf, having at its opposite ends like arms flo, the upper ends of which have studs fm, which are pivotally mounted upon standsf, (see Fig. 3,) mounted upon the un` der part of the framework. The shaft f6 has connected with it a link f5, jointed to alever f4 of a pivoted rock-shaft f3, a short arm f2 of said lever having-a ball-ended projection fzx, (see Fig. 5,) which is" .embraced and clamped bythe lower end of an' arm f', the upper end of which has a strap to surround an eccentric f, suitably secured to the shaft B. The pivotal point of the arms flo in the stands f13 is near the lowerside of thematerial the edge of which is being overstitched, and consequently the movement of the curved needle f7 is in such a path that it will not in its movement contact with the edge of the slit with sufficient force to displace or pucker the said edge, and consequently the overstitched edge is kept even and straight. Further, the ball-joint connection between the lever f 4 and the armf' enables the curved-needle-actuating means to operate reliably.

The machine is provided with a loopspreader G8, (shown as having near its end a -notch 8.) The shaft G7 of the spreader is mounted in a bearing G9, pivoted, as herein shown, upon pointed screws G10. The bearing G9 between its ends has, as shown, other point-screws l2,which serve to connect loosely with said bearing a finger GQX, the pivoted end of the finger having a projection 10. A cam H, secured to the shaft B, rotates between said finger and its projection l0 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and moves the bearing G9 and the spreader horizontally or laterally. The lower end of the spreader-shaft G7 has connected with it the hub of an arm G6, to which is joined a link G5, in turn connected at its opposite end with a lever G3, suitably pivoted on the lower framework and provided with a roller or other stud which enters a cam-groove in a hub G2, secured to the shaft B, said hub in its rotation acting through the lever G3 and link G5 to oscillate the shaft Gland loopunder thread, the needle carrying the upperthread penetrating the material back from its edge for the distance desired for the depthstitch, and the under-thread carrier in the meantime descends or moves back t'o the under side of the material, leaving a loop of under thread about the shank of the needle carrying the upper thread. The loop of upper thread presented by the needle below the material is entered by the loop-spreader G8 in its forward motion, which takes said loop of npper thread and carries it across the buttonbole-slot, opening said loop of upper thread in the path of movement of the under-thread carrier as the latter again rises, said underthread carrier passing through the spread or opened loop of upper thread. During the 0peration of spreading the loop of upper thread the needle-bar a6 is made to rise rapidly, that it may get out of the way of the under-thread carrier as the latter rises through the spread or opened loop of upper thread, and theunder-thread carrier again presents its thread above the material, as before described, that a loop of its thread may be entered by the needle carrying the upper thread at its next descent. Mounting the shank ofthe loopspreader in the bearing G9 allows the point of the spreader while spreading the loop of-under-thread to get quickly out of the way of the rising under-thread carrier, so that the concaved side thereof as it rises will not strike the loop-spreader. l

All the parts hereinbefore described ar shown and fully described in said application from which this is a divisional application, and the clamp-carrier will in practice be rotated as fully provided for in said application.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire toy secure by Letters Patent, 1s

l. The combination with upper and under needles of a buttonbole-stitching machine, and actuating means therefor, of a loopspreader, a`movable bearing sustaining the shank of said spreader, means to impart a lateral movement to the loop-spreader bearing, and means to impart a rotative movemont to the loop-spreader in its bearing in the formation of a buttonhole-stitch.

2. In a buttonbole-stitching machine, a cloth-clamp to hold the material to be stitched, stitch-forming mechanism including an upper and an under thread carrying needle, a loop-spreader having a shaft, a bearing for said shaft, means to impart at the proper IIO time a rotary movement to said loopspreader, and means to move saidbearing and loopspreader bodily that the spreader may take the loop of npper thread and spread said loop for the entrance of the needle carrying the under thread as the latter rises past the edge to be overstitched.

Ina machine for stitching buttonholes, a-

work-clamp to hold the material to be stitched,

an eye-pointed'npper-thread-carrying needle to penetrate the material hack from its edge to be overstitched, means to actuate said nee- `dle for stitching, a curved under-thread-carryingneedlelocated below the material, appivoted carrier for said curved needle, a link connected with said curved-needle carrier, a 'lever connected with said link,an eccentric-` strap, means to move it, and a ball connection between `said eccentric-strap and lever.

4. In a buttonhole-stitching.machine, the combination with an eye-pointedneedle and an` under-thread-carrying needle, of a bearing pivoted near one end, a loop-spreaderhaving its shaft mounted in said bearing, means `to swing said Abearing about its-pivot, and

means to rotate said shaft in saidbearing,` whereby said spreader while being rotated in fthe bearing may have a'bodilylateral movement givento its shaft.

5. In a buttonhole-stitching` machine, the

following instrumentalities, viz: a needle-barv havinga needle to carry an upper thread, ac-

tuating means therefor, a vertical shaft provided with a loop-spreader, a pivoted bearing in which the shaft of said spreader is mounted, an under-thread carrier, means to actnate the under-thread carrier to move it across the edge ofthe material to be overstitched, and means to move said bearing with the spreader-shaft and spreader laterally to thereby remove the spreaderV quickly out of the path of the ascending under-thread carrier.

6. ,In abuttonhole-sewing machine, a neef,

die-bar having an eye-pointed upper-threadcarrying needle, a bearing tocontain said needle-bar, means to reciprocate'said needie-bar in said bearing, an under-thread-carrier adapted to carry a thread throughl the i buttonhole and present it underthe descending needle, andmeans to adjust said bearing and maintain itinadj usted position, that the A. needle may penetratethe material `back from the edge of the slit for the desired distance to insure the desired width Vof overedge-stitch, as mayfberequired.

7. In a buttonhole-sewing machine, a workclamp, a needle-throat, a vertically-arranged. needle-bar havingan eye-pointed need1e,1a horizontally-arranged shaft having a connecti in the material in substantially a vertical line,

therebyobviating straining the materialin the direction of the Width of the buttonhole- Slit. 1

In testimony `whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses. l

'ROBERT W. THOMSON.

Witnesses: V

GEO. W. GREGORY,

JDITH M. STODDARD. 

